Landlocked Bangalore looked like Venice on Sunday

Landlocked Bangalore looked like Venice on Sunday when the skies opened up and rained woes on citizens
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

On a flooded road: Just as the city was reeling under rain over the past few days, the skies dealt another blow: it rained with renewed vigour on Sunday. The result: overflowing drains, fallen trees, collapsed walls and waterlogged roads. While traffic on many roads came to a standstill, motorists there were luckier than those who helplessly watched their vehicles floating away.
Seppings Road was one such mess, with two-wheelers and cars floating near Renuka Theatre. Cox Town and Assaye Road were in a similar state. Water from an open drain flooded Assaye Road. People near the Cox Town-Wheeler Road flyover were desperately looking for some shelter from the onslaught of rain.
Kids and women precariously walked on low walls adjoining the drain on the roadside. One slip, and they would have
been consumed by the murky waters. Motorists were driving blind; they couldn’t see potholes and bounced along waterlogged roads. Traffic was jammed on the Lingarajapuram flyover for at least an hour.
Areas around Ulsoor lake were affected too. Stormwater drains in Cambridge Layout began overflowing, flooding parts of the locality. Roads were blocked by backflow of drains and several motorists were stranded. “Every time it rains, we face the same problems. Yet, there’s never any relief. Even newly laid roads here are crumbling after the first downpour,” says Dr Ajith, a resident here. Adding to the danger was an open well submerged in the flood, with residents having a tough time keeping kids away. Sumps in most houses were flooded with drainwater.
The situation in HBR Layout was equally bad. Drainwater flowed into houses and contaminated sumps. “This is the second time this month and the third this year that we are affected by floods. We did not take the trouble to inform the BBMP control room this time as they always land up here late and by then, the water would have drained out,” says Ilham, a resident.
Part of Margosa Road in Malleswaram collapsed, taking two buses down. Getting them back on track was an hour-long operation. Bus stands in several areas, including Sanjaynagar Main Road and Mathikere, were affected. Commuters had a tough time finding their way on submerged roads and pavements.
A wall in the military area of Thimmaiah Garden collapsed, killing two cows and damaging three cars. It also damaged a transformer, increasing the woes of residents.
The callous attitude of civic authorities shocked Arun of Sadashivnagar. “We have been facing severe problems due to waterlogging in our houses over
the past few days. There’s power, but we can’t even touch the switches. Some bulbs have already blown out. And when I called up the BWSSB office to enquire about relief measures, I was told to get back on Monday as there’s no one who can tell me the relevant details,” he said.
Puttenahalli and Sahakarnagar — where a drizzle is enough to cause largescale inundation — were no different. “Now, it’s news only when our area is not flooded,” said a resident of Puttenahalli.
UNDER WATER Flooded
RT Nagar, Dollars Colony, HBR Layout, Cambridge Layout, Puttenahalli, Sahakarnagar, Assaye Road, areas surrounding Ulsoor Lake, Sadashivnagar, Malleswaram, Mathikere, Sanjaynagar, HAL II Stage, Cox Town, Vasanthnagar, Shivajinagar
Fallen trees
Yeshwantpur, Dinnur Main Road